Rodents such as mice, rats, etc. have long been household pests, causing damage to foodstuffs stored in the household, causing damage to the household structure itself and in many cases carrying various diseases that may have adverse effect upon human and other animal life. It is highly desirable therefore, to prevent such rodents from living in and about a household and, if present, to provide a suitable means for eradicating them.
In the commercial environment involving foodstuffs, rodents cause significant and extensive damage to stored grain as well as causing contamination of various food products that are destined for human and animal consumption. It has been determined that rodents are attracted not only to foodstuff but also to any other substances containing a significant quantity of protein. In cases where grain is stored and shipped in paper or fabric sacks, rodents can cause significant damage, severely adversely affecting the financial return of the commercial operation involved. It is highly desirable therefore to prevent rodents from living and multiplying in environments where foodstuffs are stored or transported and, if present to provide effective means for eradicating them without risking contamination of the foodstuffs.
Many different rat traping devices have been developed in the past for catching and eradicating rats and mice. In most cases, these devices are provided with a bait which attracts the rodents to the trap. Upon attempting to eat the bait, or take it away, the trap is triggered, usually causing the trap mechanism to trip and catch the rodent. In most cases, the rodent is eradicated by the trap device. Other methods for disposing of such rodents include the use of various toxic chemical compounds that are intended to be eaten by the rodents and cause them to die. One disadvantage of using toxic rat bait is that the presence of dead rodents in a domestic or commercial environment can constitute a problem from the standpoint of health. Further, the presence of toxic chemical substances in and about domestic and commercial environments can constitute a hazard to household pets and humans and to foodstuffs and other materials present in the commercial environment. Unfortunately rodents are very sensitive to the presence of toxic materials and soon learn to avoid the toxic bait. Other types of devices for generating ultrasonic energy are also used to create undesirable sound that drives away the rodents. These types of devices have seldom proved effective.